Technology Description

By quantifying the extent that soil properties control metal bioavailability, researchers will show that the models developed in SERDP projects ER-1166 and ER-1210 can be used with a reasonable level of confidence to predict site-specific metal bioavailability for DoD soils throughout the United States. The chemical speciation, bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and toxicity of lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium in soils from DoD sites to biological receptors used to evaluate ecological risk (e.g., plants, earthworms) and human risk (e.g., immature swine model) will be determined to validate the SBAT. Researchers also will show that in vitro methods can be used for risk assessment of toxic metals in soil by comparing in vitro and in vivo metal bioavailability studies. The in vitro ecological models will be enhanced by considering approximately ten DoD soils for in vivo ecological bioassay studies (10 contaminated, 10 control) that have already been screened using the Physiologically Based Extraction Test (PBET). In an effort to advance complete or partial acceptance of in vitro methods in human health and ecological risk assessment and policy, this project will bring together regulators, end-users, and scientists to discuss the research strategy and demonstrate the applicability of these concepts. Additional information is available at http://www.esd.ornl.gov/research/earth_sciences/estcp.shtml.